Iran, Al-Qaeda, and End-Times Prophecy

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announced last week that Iran is determined to eliminate Israel. In an interview with a Lebanese television network, he added that "whoever is for humanity should also be for eradicating the Zionist regime." It is no wonder Israeli leaders have stated that they cannot allow Iran to obtain nuclear weapons.

Thus, as Iran moves closer to nuclear capability, Israel draws nearer to launching a military attack on the terrorist regime. Though a military attack by Israel will not likely bring down the Ahmadinejad regime, there is a great possibility that the Iranian opposition movement would take advantage of the resulting chaos of an attack to depose the regime. This result would align with end-times Bible prophecy very well for three reasons.

The first reason concerns the end-times treaty predicted in the Bible. Daniel 9:27 prophecies a future seven-year treaty with Israel that will lead to the return of Christ. (The reference to "many" in the verse is a reference to the Jews. "Many" is used elsewhere in Daniel to refer to the Jews, and the context of 9:24-27 focuses on the Jews. See Apocalypse 2012: The Ticking of the End Time Clock—What Does the Bible Say? for evidence that the six infinitive phrases in verse 24 point to the return of Christ to establish God's kingdom upon the earth.) This treaty appears to be more than a global treaty; in fact, it seems to be connected to world leaders proclaiming "peace and security." However, if there is one culprit that has attempted to obstruct a treaty with the Jewish nation, it is Iran. In fact, some experts, including Israeli leadership, believe that it has been Iran that has been the greatest obstacle toward a treaty between Israel and the Palestinians. If so, then the current Iranian government needs to be deposed before the end-times treaty can be confirmed.

The second reason the removal of the Ahmadinejad regime would pave the way toward the end-times fulfillment of Bible prophecy concerns world leaders proclaiming "peace and security," as per 1 Thessalonians 5:3. At the time of the signing of the seven-year treaty with Israel, the world will believe it has finally achieved "peace and security." For that scenario to arise, terrorism will need to be defeated—or at least, appear to be defeated. In order for terrorism to suffer defeat, the current Iranian regime, which is the biggest promoter of terrorism in the world today, will have to be deposed.

Iran's involvement in terrorism has been illustrated this past week by this question: Was Iran involved in the 9/11 attacks on America? It turns out there is an Iranian connection. The evidence is presented in a document filed by American attorneys working on a civil action, in which bereaved relatives of those who died in the 9/11 attacks joined Iran to a suit brought against bin Laden and al-Qaeda.

The evidence tracks Iran's involvement with al-Qaeda going back to 1993 in a meeting in Sudan between Iranian representatives and Osama bin Laden and Ayman al Zawahiri, al-Qaeda leaders. Apparently, al-Qaeda operatives received training in Iran in airline hijacking. Four months before 9/11, a leading Iranian official authorized support for "al-Qaeda's future plans."

Two former CIA senior officials declared in an affidavit that an Iranian agent arranged the transfers for some of the 9/11 hijackers through Iran, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Afghanistan. The Iranian agent was Imad Mughniya, "the most dangerous terrorist in the world" at that time. The help he arranged provided for training in Afghanistan and entry into the U.S.

In addition, in July, the U.S. Treasury Department identified six members of an al-Qaeda network based inside of Iran. This network operates "under an agreement between al-Qaeda and the Iranian government." The Treasury Department reveals that one of the six, Atiya (known by analysts by his first name), described as al-Qaeda's "operations chief," was appointed by Osama bin Laden to serve as al-Qaeda's emissary in Iran. Atiyah was planning a terrorist attack inside the U.S. to coincide with the tenth anniversary of 9/11.

Thus, for in order for end-times prophecy to be fulfilled, the current Iranian regime will need to be deposed, which most likely indicates a coming military strike on Iran. However, the Obama administration is not prepared to use military force on Iran which means it would attempt to rely on deterrence. But that overlooks the religious fervor which is driving Iran's quest for nuclear weapons. Both Iranian Spiritual Leader Ali Khamenei and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad are followers of the Twelfth Imam and claim to be in direct communication with him. Supposedly, he has directed them to dispose of Israel, to grab power over the Middle East, and then go on to dominate Europe, the U.S., and the entire planet. In this drive, global chaos is to be launched, at which point the Mahdi (the Twelfth Imam) supposedly will step onto the world stage and bring the world under Islamic rule.

This religious zeal for Islamic domination of the world is the third reason Ahmadinejad's removal is necessary for the fulfillment of Bible prophecy. The scenario described above does not at all fit with the Bible's predictions of the future, yet Ahmadinejad will not relinquish his drive for Islamic rule. Thus, he will need to be deposed. Since the current U.S. administration will not do it, Israel must. If the Jewish leadership chooses to follow that path, it will eliminate Iran as the obstacle to world "peace and security" and will set up Israel as the "hero" to European nations and Arab states, the players which will co-sign that end-times treaty with Israel.

[John Claeys serves with John Claeys Ministries through writing, speaking, and radio ministries and is the author of Apocalypse 2012: The Ticking of the End Time Clock—What Does the Bible Say?, a riveting look of the events leading up to the return of Christ. See www.JohnClaeys.com for more information.]